Improvement in fruit boxes or baskets



JOHN H. noonfrfrg'r'linfon iANs'oNn., CONNECTICUT.

IM PRo'vE-M'NLI' 'IN" Figugirioxss bRfBAsK'sfrs.

Specifieationforming part ofNetters-atent Ilot-219,866; dated Septemberl2', 1865.

4To all whom 'it may Be it known that I, JonrtH. DooLrTTLE, of Ansonia,New Haven county, in the State of Gonnccticuhave invented certain newand.

useful Improvements in Fmi-t' Boxes or Baskets; and I'do hereby deelarfithat the following is a full and exact description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, makin g part of. thisapplication.

My present invention relate -to an improvement in fruit boxes orbaskets, having for its object to render such' boxes or baskets capableof being packed in. crateswtnout the use of any partition-boards, andalso without any lia.- bility of injury to the contents ot the boxes.

Previous to my invention n umerous kinds `ot fruit boxes and basketshave been suggest ed, patented, and used in the market, many of which(like myimproved box) havebeen formed of thin board or strips of veneer,which is a very desirable method of construction in many respects;butwith thiskindof boxes it has been found necessary, in packing anumber of them in a crate for transportation, to employ horizontally-arran ged partition-boards, placed one over each layer or stratum ofboxes to support the next layer of boxes and to prevent the box`e s i`rom slippin g' partially into each other,

and mashing the berries or contents thereof. It will be understood thatwhen a number .of boxes made as heretofore were put into a crate withoutany partition-boards a very slight displacement or deran gement of a boxlaterally would allow it (being formed of thin stuff) to dip or descendpartially into the box below it.

This objection, heretofore existant in most kinds of fruit-boxes, isentirely overcome by,

my invention, which consists inmakin g the box slightly taperinginwardly from the bottom toward the top, in such manner that a series ofboxes of the same size may be packed ina crate or otherwise with thelower edge of each box surrounding, and thebottom thereof restingon, thetop edge of the box placed immediately bcneath it, 'as will' bepresently more fully explained. y

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use myinvention, I willproceed to describe the construction and operation thereof, referring byletters to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this application,and in which- Figure lis an elevation of one of'my improvedfruit-boxes.' `Fig. 2 is a vertical central section of the same; andFig. 3 isa similar section of a series ot' such boxes as they appearpacked together.

In the several gures thevsame letter of reference designates the samepart.

I t ke a strip of thin board or'veneer cut in Y the proper shape andbend it around to form the sides or contourof the box, as seen at havingfirst made suitable slots and notches for the accommodation of thebinder and bot- "i tom-supporting cords b c d. After securing the sidesA by means of the cords b and c, I place the bottom-board e in and thenput on the retaining -cord or band d. The construction of the box, asthus far explained, is similarto that magie the subject of anotherapplication for d Letters Patent by me,ii1 which it will be foundminutely described.

- The strip of veneer of which the sides A of the box are formed is socut andbentinto shape as to make. the top edge of the box a littlesmaller than the bottom edge.

I prefer to make external contour of the top edge a shade smaller thanthe internal contour ofthe bottom edge, so that by taking two boxes andplacing one over the other they will Vit together, as shown at Fig. 4.

The bottom-board e is arranged a short disy tance above the lower edgeot' the box,so that when the boxes are packed together they willinterlock, each one over the one under it, as clearly shown at Fig. 3.Of course the contour of'the box may be varied from that shown to anydesired form-either polygonal, round, or oval. l Although I have shownmy invention in connection with a mode of construction of the box of abent strip tied together with strings, and its bottom supported andretained by means of strings, it will be understood that thecharacteristic feature of my present invention-viz,l

the idea offormin g the boxes taperingand so as to interlock and packtogether, as described- Y may bc embodied with great and perhaps equaladvantages in other kinds of boxes formed in a manner entirely differentfrom that shown in this application.

It will be seen that by my invention I am enabled to pack the boxes inlarge quantities or numbers in crates or large boxes for transportationwithout the use of any partition or separation boards, and that thebotton1-board of each box will take a complete bearing upon the entiretop edge of the box below it, and the whole series be matched togetherin vertical tiers.

It may be deemed an additional advantage to have the boxes constructedaccording to my present invention in consequence of their capacity tostand in a vertical tier on the counter or stand of the salesman, onebox forming a perfect cover to another, as shown and illustrated.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

A fruit box or basketmade smaller at the top tha-n at its bottom, sothat the bottom of each box may rest upon the top edge of the boxbeneath it when a series are packed together, substantially as and forthe purpose set forth.

In testi mon y whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal.

JOHN H. DUOLITTLE.

